Bee a {modern} swapper

Cathedral window pincushion staying with me., a photo by stayathomelibrarian on Flickr.

Katherine at Honeyhill designs asked me to help moderate a new sort of bee over at Flickr. Being the total follower that I am, I agreed. Her idea was to have a year long bee for as many people the two of us felt comfortable enough to handle. The participants would be split into groups we call honeycombs. Those groups would function like a traditional bee, but only be required to make blocks every other month. On the off months, there would be the optional swaps. Her idea is brilliant, and is working marvelously. We capped our membership at 36 for this year. She called it Bee a {modern} swapper.  If I were a good co-moderator, I'd have a little button to share here.  But, a sippy cup of juice, a toddler, and a smoking lap-top have prohibited my construction of said button.

Our first month was a swap month. While I have sewn a total of two dresses in my life, I am no sewer. The idea of crafting something as small as a pincushion was rather frightening. But, I did it. Three times in fact.  I used a wonderful tutorial from Kim at My Go-Go Life. The first had some construction issues. This is the second. I didnt fall in love with the color scheme I'd chosen. I decided to keep it.   I did have the perfect spot for it.  When my grandmother died, I got this pincushion chair from her night stand. She'd already given away and bequeathed everything she owned, which wasn't much- mementos really.  She'd made each of her grandchildren quilts in which she said her goodbyes. She lived a minimalist life as long as I knew her. This gaudy little chair had been a prop in  my childhood, and it was still there, useful to her at the end of her life. If my grandmother had been a rich woman, no greater gift could have been given to me.  The pincushion fits perfectly.  The more I look at it, the less I dislike the pincushion.  I am in love with the third pincushion, which is the one I'm swapping.  I hope my secret swap partner digs it as much as I do.

And thanks for Kaki for making me step outside my comfort zone in more ways than one.